Nigeria’s Assets Under Management increased from N3.2 trillion to N10 trillion within the last two years, the Securities and Exchange Commission has said.

SEC’s director-general, Emomotimi Agama, disclosed this on Monday in Lagos during an event marking Nigeria’s transition to the T+1 settlement cycle.

Mr Agama said the growth reflected rising investor confidence and the positive impact of ongoing reforms in the Nigerian capital market. He noted that the market had achieved several historic milestones in recent months, including record growth in market capitalisation.

“The Nigerian capital market has recorded historic milestones. Within two years, the nation’s AUM grew from N3.2 trillion to N10 trillion. In February 2026 alone, market capitalisation expanded by N17.6 trillion, representing the highest single-month gain in the market’s history,” he said.  

Mr Agama said domestic and foreign portfolio investments on the Nigerian Exchange Ltd rose to N1.803 trillion in April 2026.

“This represents a 3.35 per cent month-on-month increase and a remarkable 274.05 per cent year-on-year rise from N482 billion in April 2025. For the first four months of 2026, total market transactions reached N5.952 trillion, more than double the N2.714 trillion recorded in 2025,” he said.

The SEC chief described the figures as unprecedented and evidence of the growing strength of Nigeria’s capital market. He added that the market’s contribution to Nigeria’s gross domestic product had increased significantly.

According to him, the market’s contribution to GDP rose to 33 per cent in 2025. He said market capitalisation also recorded a 125 per cent increase from about N55 trillion in April 2024.

Mr Agama noted that, despite the strong performance, there remained considerable room for improvement. He disclosed that foreign participation in Nigerian equities increased from 9.9 per cent in 2023 to 22.2 per cent in 2025. He described the increase as a meaningful recovery for the market.

“However, there is still significant room to close the gap, and T+1 is one of the most important tools available to achieve that,” he said.

Mr Agama expressed confidence that the T+1 settlement cycle would improve efficiency, boost liquidity, and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness as a global investment destination.

He said the transition represented a milestone for the market but also imposed new responsibilities on operators. According to him, the shorter settlement cycle would place greater pressure on smaller market participants to automate operations and strengthen back-office processes.

He said that stockbrokers, custodians, and registrars relying on legacy systems and manual workflows could no longer afford the delays tolerated under the T+2 regime.

Mr Agama stressed that trade confirmations, reconciliations and funding decisions must now be completed more quickly. He added that the entire industry must adapt to the demands of a faster and more efficient settlement environment.

The SEC boss also announced that the commission would launch the Nigerian Capital Market Master Plan 2.0 between June and July.

(NAN)